College basketball: FGCU women shut down USC Upstate Spartans

The Florida Gulf Coast University women’s basketball team proved Saturday night that a tough defense can make up for a struggling offense.

Neither team shot well at Alico Arena but the Eagles (9-6) held the USC Upstate Spartans (6-9) to 29 percent from the field en route to a 72-45 blowout.

On a night when FGCU reached new season highs with 50 rebounds and 17 steals, coach Karl Smesko admitted the offensive woes. The Eagles shot 23 percent from beyond the 3-point arc, a drop on their conference-leading 34 percent. There were times where players acted as if they were cemented to the floor.

“Defensively we were excellent. Offensively, we didn’t cut very well without the ball and we had a lot of people that were standing around watching the ball,” Smesko said.

The Eagles had four players in double figures, despite shooting 35 percent from the field. Jenna Cobb posted 12 points and a season high-five steals. Whitney Knight also scored 12 points and four blocks.

The focus wasn’t the scoring. FGCU knew shots would fall eventually. With the Spartans averaging 40 rebounds a game to their 33, the Eagles elevated their defensive pressure.

Upstate’s Brittany Starling and Shelby Hicks battled in the post, combining for 19 rebounds. They also combined for 19 shots, but only made five. The Spartans were getting into the lane and getting quality shots. FGCU provided enough fingertips in front Spartan eyes to make scoring around the rim more difficult than usual.

“We’ve been talking about not swatting at the ball and keeping our hands straight up,” Knight said of her defensive tactics. “I’m trying to work on that so I don’t get into foul trouble.”

DyTiesha Dunson, a sophomore, provided a nice lift off the bench and hit some milestones on the way. She was rewarded with a season-high 34 minutes of floor action.

Dunson, a 5-foot-8 guard, isn’t known for her lockdown defense. She grabbed five boards and three steals, also season-highs. Dunson confessed she was a bit tired from putting in the extra work, but she welcomed the opportunity to step up.

“DyTiesha has been playing a lot better lately,” Smesko said. “Jenna (Cobb) is really good at guarding the ball and DyTiesha is really good at guarding. I felt like we needed both of them on the floor together quite a bit to control some of their penetration.”

The Eagles leap to 3-0 in conference play with Kennesaw State on the horizon. The Owls have lost six straight against the Eagles, not to mention two drops in the Atlantic Sun Conference Tourney. FGCU will have to shut down the tandem of Kristina Wells and DeAndrea Sawyers to get a good shot at a win. Both average at least 13 points a game and Wells is a glass-eater averaging nine rebounds a game.

“Their defense is always very good and very disciplined,” said USC Upstate coach Tammy George. “They do a great job of helping each other. To our players, things look open and they close the gaps. We struggled all night with it.”